Hard to understand how this works in Oz. I'd always had the impression that you guys were more "liberated" than we were. Is it the guts and gore then?

Hmmm if they do follow suit, then there will be a fairly big uproar from the Aussie game community. Games like Leisure Suit Larry will slip under the radar because it's basically a crap game that only those looking for a cheap laugh care about. But Half Life 2? I think not. The australian classification board better have some flame retardent undergarments or be prepared to overhaul the rating system if they're thinking of disallowing it's sale in Australia. I have never written a letter of complaint in my life, but something like this would certainly give me cause to pen a letter to the museum worthy antiquities that make up the Australian Classificaion Board, whose ineptitude to recognise a need for a broader rating system within the confines of our shores has caused us to not only loose a defining piece of software, but has fueled the international attitude of Australia as a backward nation......ahem...sorry.....just getting some practice in.

Just download it off Steam.

Is it too much like asking for spoilers to inquire WHY the game is R(18+). It can't be sexual content can it? Can it

Don't think so, it's probably the zombie bits that have raised it quite a bit (blood, dismemberment, etc).

I with you Mustang! Let the bastards try to block it! We'll show 'em!

*Grabs torch and pitchfork* Yeah! Let's go stop them from causing a travesty of epic proportions!

Seriously though, it would be an incredible shame to have something like that, even remotely like that, happen. Perhaps public action will sway them otherwise, so I wish you Aussies good luck in that regard.

Now im mad.

I cite Doom 3. Doom 3 was allowed to sell in Australia.
*SPOILER WARNING*
In the Delta Labs, right near the portal to Hell, the hallways are covered in blood. Satanic messages are sprawled over the walls. there's the guys that have been disemboweled and are hanging, still living, from the celing in the Alpha Labs.
*NO MORE SPOILERS*

Now from the shots of Half- Life 2, the player is battling ZOMBIES and ALIENS rather than HUMAN BEINGS. what possibly could come of this? that some kid goes out, raises the dead and then kills the living dead, and some aliens come down, start destroying things, and the kids think 'oh look, just like HL2'.

no, thats not the longest roll of gibberish ever created.

But from what ive seen, Half-Life 2 is the 'cleaner' brother of Doom, keeping the awsomeness of gameplay first.

But this is taken from the Office of Film & Literature Classification web site, the Australian body for ratings.

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What is the Review of Determined Markings?

The determined markings are the classification symbols and words that you see in a range of places including on DVD and computer games boxes, and cinema posters. Recent changes to the classification system will create common classification types for films and computer games, requiring new markings. They are expected to come into effect in May 2005.

The purposes of the review are to:

* Find out the best way to communicate classification information about films and computer games to the public to help them make suitable choices; and
* Ensure that these markings can be practically applied by the entertainment industry to their products and advertisements.

---

Looks like this may (or may not) be the reason why HL 2 has come into question.

=:=
The Shark
-:-
I used to be a guy called Cosmic Viator, jake_langley, Griffin, raz0r_j@ck, jade_falcon, joker2015, starfox... Jared Tyers was in there somewhere too...

EDIT:
Okay, maybe someone listened.

---

Commencing in May 2005 the new classification types for films and computer games will be G, PG, M, (advisory classifications) and MA15+, R18+, X18+ (restricted classifications). The changes mean that only the classifications that have age-related legal restrictions will use an age description. The classifications R18+ and X18+ will apply to films only.

---

From the OFLC itself. At least if theres rumours about it being banned, it means that its finished... hopefully

Edited by - Love Shark on 10/27/2004 11:59:08 PM

The new rating apply to films only Vi. Still, it's just a rumour. For the moment...

I know that I'm "jumping the gun" a bit, but the Australian censors have a habit of being a little anal.

Kind of OT: I've only played Blue Shift, and I understand that that was the suckiest of all HL games, but it used the same engine right? the controls were so twitchy I couldn't do anything right. Can't shoot straight (took me a whole clip of Beretta on those little cute alien dogs), can't jump straight, whenever I strafe I fall into some pit because Barney overdo the move - this Barney character's ass' mass must be so enormous he needs an inertial dampener more than the Enterprise.

And I know I'm no idiot on FPS since I finished Halo (Legendary diff) in 2 days. BS is now uninstalled, and please tell that not all of the other HL games' controls are like this, I'm giving up on the series.

I don't know what you did to get that problem FF. BS worked just as well as HL and the the other expansions for me.

@FF: your mouse controls were probably too sensitive...

@esky: i realised that afterwards.

=:=
The Shark
-:-
I used to be a guy called Cosmic Viator, jake_langley, Griffin, raz0r_j@ck, jade_falcon, joker2015, starfox... Jared Tyers was in there somewhere too...

Sorry for the double post, but its all bull. I just checked with the dude at my independent games store and he says HL2 is coming out here on the 17th of november. wooo!

EDIT:
Breathe a big sigh of relief australia.

Half-Life 2 Has been given an MA15+ rating, allowing it to be sold in australia.

Proof

Now I'm happy. E-mailing government agencies is worth the effort, i got told about the HL2 classification just as it was put on the website.

Edited by - Love Shark on 11/4/2004 9:14:50 PM